Pumpkin Flan Recipe

Preheat and prepare

Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C). Butter four 6-ounce ramekins lightly and place them in a deep roasting pan for a water bath.

Heat milk and cream

In a medium saucepan, combine whole milk and heavy cream. Add the scraped vanilla bean seeds (or vanilla extract), and heat over medium until just simmering — small bubbles at the edge and steam rising. Do not boil. Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes to infuse.

Mix pumpkin custard

In a bowl, whisk together pumpkin purée, granulated sugar and brown sugar, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and salt until smooth. Whisk in the eggs and additional yolk until fully combined. Slowly stream the warm milk-cream mixture into the pumpkin-egg mixture while whisking to temper the eggs and create a smooth custard.

Strain and pour

Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove any bits and ensure a silky texture. Pour the strained custard evenly into the prepared ramekins.

Bake in water bath

Pour hot water into the roasting pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Carefully transfer to the oven and bake for 30–40 minutes, or until the flans are set at the edges and slightly jiggly in the center. A toothpick inserted should come out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs.

Cool and chill

Remove ramekins from the water bath and cool to room temperature on a wire rack. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight to fully set.

Combine water and sugar in a small saucepan. Add the cinnamon stick, star anise, and orange peel. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Reduce heat and simmer 8–10 minutes until slightly thickened and aromatic. Remove from heat and let steep for 15 minutes. Strain out solids and cool. Syrup can be stored refrigerated up to 1 week.

When ready to serve, warm a small amount of syrup (or use at room temperature) and spoon 1–2 teaspoons over each flan just before plating.

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). In a bowl, combine rolled oats, flour, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, and salt. Add cold cubed butter and rub between fingers or cut in with a pastry cutter until mixture forms coarse crumbs (pea-size pieces).

Spread crumb mixture in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Bake 10–12 minutes, stirring once halfway, until golden and crisp. Let cool completely on the baking sheet; it will crisp more as it cools. Break into small clusters for plating.

Puree the diced pears with the sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla until very smooth. Taste and adjust sweetness if necessary.

In a small saucepan, combine agar-agar powder and water; let sit 2 minutes to hydrate. Bring to a simmer and cook 1–2 minutes, whisking, until agar dissolves and is fully activated. Quickly whisk the hot agar mixture into the pear purée. Return to low heat for 30 seconds while whisking to ensure incorporation, then remove from heat.

Pour the pear mixture into a shallow container and chill until set, about 30–45 minutes. Once set, blend briefly to a smooth gel-like texture or pass through a fine sieve to create a glossy gel. Transfer to a squeeze bottle or small spoon for plating.

Preheat oven to 200°F (95°C) or use a dehydrator. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Toss thin pear slices with lemon juice and, if using, a light dusting of sugar.

Arrange slices in a single layer and bake low and slow for 1.5–2 hours, flipping once halfway, until dry and crisp. Baking time depends on thickness and moisture of the pear. Alternatively dehydrate according to dehydrator instructions. Cool completely; chips will crisp more as they cool.

Remove flans from the refrigerator. Run a thin knife around the edge of each ramekin to loosen, then invert onto serving plates if you prefer an unmolded presentation, or serve in the ramekins.

Spoon a small pool of vanilla bean pear gel on the plate near the flan (or dot the top of the flan). Sprinkle a spoonful of oat crumb beside the flan for texture.

Drizzle 1–2 teaspoons of the cinnamon star anise syrup over the flan and around the plate for flavor and shine.

Insert 1–2 pear chips upright into the oat crumb or beside the flan for height and crispness. Garnish with a few microgreens or a small mint sprig and dust lightly with powdered sugar if desired.

Serve chilled. Each ramekin yields one individual portion; recommended to serve immediately after assembly so pear chips remain crisp.